Do you have flashbacks or nightmares about your baby’s birth? Do avoid your baby because he/she reminds you of your traumatic experience? Are you having fantasies about hurting the baby, or yourself? Do you have difficulty concentrating? Are you unusually irritable, angry or depressed? Then you may have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from your childbirth experience. But you are not alone! What you are going through is real, and there is hope for healing. Don’t give up!

As you travelled with us to Uganda last week, some of you asked, “How can we help?” Wouldn’t you know it, as soon as you asked, the answer popped into our inbox. We’ve been invited to join the Mozilla Firefox challenge! Mozilla Firefox is giving away $50,000 to the fundraiser that raises the most money, $30,000 to the one that wins the second most, and $20,000 to the one that receives the third most. You know we love a good challenge and with your help Every Mother Counts could win this challenge for moms! We’re putting our money where our mouth is too: Every Mother Counts will match the first $10,000 raised. In addition, four lucky contributors will win one of the following prizes:
◦ A signed Starbucks EMC CD
◦ A signed “No Woman No Cry” DVD
◦ Oiselle EMC t-shirt
◦ ErgoBaby EMC bag
Now, I know we ask for a lot from you guys and you’ve always stepped up and been champions. Why should you donate to this project?

Because we’re your favorite charity

Because it’s an early gift-giving opportunity and a way of getting a jumpstart on Giving Tuesday - next week’s big international response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday that promotes giving gifts of support to non-profit organizations in lieu of things like holiday sweaters and snowglobes.

Because it’s a bargain. For $22, your donation can purchase a “Mama kit” for a mother in Uganda. When mothers arrive at a birth center in labor ready to have their babies, this kit guarantees that the supplies needed to ensure a safe delivery are there. A Mama kit includes basic essential supplies women need to deliver safely. As an extra bonus, a Mama Kit comes with a baby kit that includes a clean blanket to wrap baby in. Here’s what a mama kit includes:

-Soap

-Cotton and gauze

-Plastic sheet (for labor)

-Disposable gloves

-Surgical gloves

-Surgical blade

-Cord ligatures

-Tetracycline eye ointment

-Baby blanket and sheets

-Child health card

-Polythene bag to hold medical records

Because this challenge goes through January 10th, just in case there's anyone you still need to give a gift to after the holidays

Because you’re as committed as we are to using every opportunity possible to make Every Mother Count and make it safe for mothers around the world to give life.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

ARLINGTON, Va., Dec. 21, 2012 -- Michael J. Fitzpatrick , executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has issued the following statement:
"The National Rifle Association (NRA) response to last week's tragedy in
Newtown Connecticut -- in which 20 children and six adults at Sandy
Hook Elementary School were killed -- is outrageous and wrong.
The NRA has called for putting more guns in schools and creating a bigger list of people treated for mental illness
-- which presumably includes civic leaders, teachers who take
prescriptions for anxiety or depression, police, fire fighters and
veterans returning home from Afghanistan.
The NRA posed the question 'How many more copycats are waiting…A dozen more killers? A hundred? More? How can we possibly even guess how many, given our nation's refusal to create an active national database of the mentally ill?'
One in four American adults experience a mental health problem in any given year, yet the U.S. Surgeon General
determined over a decade ago that 'the overall contribution of mental
disorders to the total level of violence in society is exceptionally
small.'
Law already exists requiring states to report the names of people 'adjudicated as mentally defective' to the National Instant Background Check System (NICS).
It has never been properly implemented because of confusion surrounding
the highly stigmatizing term "mentally defective" and the uncertain
meaning of 'adjudicated.'
After the Virginia Tech tragedy in 2007, NAMI recommended
that Congress clean up existing law by adopting standards consistent
with modern medical knowledge and clear legal procedures. We continue to
support that approach.
When violence occurs, it is usually because something has gone terribly wrong in the mental health care system.
We must address the fact that less than a third of Americans who have a
diagnosable mental illness are able to get treatment. The NRA's proposal
to create a bigger "active" national database will only discourage
people reaching out for help. Stigma will be imposed. Stigma will be
internalized. Stigma will turn into prejudice and discrimination.
NAMI condemns the NRA position. We hope the NRA instead will join others
in seeking positive, workable, appropriate solutions. NAMI stands ready
to work with the President, Congress and states to accomplish that end."

My Comment:

I completely agree with NAMI. Having a national data base for the Mentally Ill opens up discrimination against those who truly struggle but are not violent. Are we to have segregation all over again? Not with African Americans, but with those who have mental health issues. They might as well make us sew a giant "M" to our chest so "normal" people can see us coming and step to the left on the sidewalk because we might kill them. Should we have a national data base for Muslims because some of them are terrorists? Should we have a national data base of white men because some of them are serial killers? Should we have a national data base for African Americans because some of them are in gangs? It's completely ridiculous. The children of the Sandy Hook tragedy may grow up with symptoms of trauma... Are we to put them in the data base as well, when they are the very children that we hope to protect? Think about what you are suggesting NRA... It will only bring more discrimination and fear of those with mental health issues. Besides, if someone really wanted to get a gun and was blocked from getting one through normal channels, nothing is stopping them from getting one off the street. Then they can kill whomever they want, and no one would have any control over it. Think before you speak NRA.

Abstract

Background

There
is evidence that traumatic birth experiences are associated with
psychological impairments. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence
of childbirth-related post-traumatic stress symptoms and its obstetric
and perinatal risk factors among a sample of Iranian women.

Methods

This
was a cross-sectional study carried out in Bushehr, Iran during a
3-months period from July to September 2009. Data were collected from
all women attending eleven healthcare centers for postnatal care 6 to 8
weeks after childbirth. Those who had a traumatic delivery were
identified and entered into the study. In order to assess
childbirth-related post-traumatic stress, the Post-traumatic Symptom
Scale-Interview (PSS-I) was administered. Data on demographic, obstetric
and perinatal characteristics also were collected. Multivariate
logistic regression was performed to examine the association between
childbirth-related post-traumatic stress and demographic and obstetric
and perinatal variables.

Results

In
all, 400 women were initially evaluated. Of these, 218 women (54.5%)
had a traumatic delivery and overall, 80 women (20%) were found to be
suffering from post-partum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that post-partum PTSD was
associated with educational level, gestational age at delivery, number
of prenatal care visits, pregnancy complications, pregnancy intervals,
labor duration, and mode of delivery.

Conclusions

The
findings indicated that the prevalence of traumatic birth experiences
and post-partum PTSD were relatively high among Iranian women. The
findings also indicated that obstetric and perinatal variables were
independently the most significant contributing factors to women’s
post-partum PTSD. It seems that a better perinatal care and supportive
childbirth might help to reduce the burden of post-partum PTSD among
this population.

In this time of national mourning for the victims of the Sandy Hook Tragedy, my heart goes out to the families of those who were senselessly and brutally murdered on December 14, 2012. Needless to say the children and school staff who witnessed this horrifying act of violence may deal with symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder in the coming weeks and months. My heart goes out to them as they may have nightmares and flashbacks of the event. I pray for them and pray that they are not ashamed to ask for help with their feelings. Please hug your children and thank God for them and that they are safe.

Dr Phil featured survivors from the Sandy Hook tragedy on his program on December 17, 2012, http://drphil.com/shows/show/1941. He stresses the importance of talking about what happened and how you feel about the events of that day.

This is from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA):

The
recent shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown,
Connecticut, continues to bring out strong emotions across the Nation.
The Disaster Distress Helpline, 1-800-985-5990,
can provide immediate counseling to anyone who needs help in dealing
with the many issues and problems that might arise from this tragedy.

Sponsored
by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA), the Helpline immediately connects callers to trained and
caring professionals from the closest crisis counseling center in the
nationwide network of centers. Helpline staff will provide confidential
counseling, referrals, and other needed support services.

The
Disaster Distress Helpline is a 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week national
hotline dedicated to providing disaster crisis counseling. The toll-free
Helpline is confidential and multilingual, and available for those who
are experiencing psychological distress as a result of natural or
man-made disasters, incidents of mass violence, or any other tragedy
affecting America's communities.

Our texting service also is available to Spanish speakers. Text "Hablanos" to 66746 for 24/7 emotional support.

If you need help, call:

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About Me

My name is Jodi Kluchar, and I live in Struthers, Ohio. I am currently a volunteer postpartum support group coordinator in Mahoning County, and webmaster of PTSD After Childbirth: www.ptsdafterchildbirth.orgI suffered from PTSD after the birth of my son. The most important piece of advice I have for you is that it’s important to talk about what happened, even though you may not want to. Try to find a counselor or someone you trust to help you work through your memories and how you feel about the birth. Read my birth story here.